At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:1-6
To be converted and become as a little child!
To be converted means to turn around from a course of conduct, or lifestyle, or to change one's mind!
But how does one become as a little child? Be born again! What did you say? Be born again?!? What in the world is that? It's not in the world! It's out of the world. You're born once into this world. When you are born again, you are born into God's Kingdom, and that my friend, is out of this world!
The natural mind fails to grasp the spiritual things. The natural mind is limited to the physical realm. The spirit sees beyond the natural. A religious leader had to be taught this by the Lord! And I dare say there are many religious leaders today who need to be taught this basic truth of the kingdom of God all over again!
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:1-8
Sometimes we get hold of a tiny piece of knowledge and delude ourselves into thinking we know everything! We are like the six blind men who went to "see" an elephant! Each one came into contact with a single part of the elephant and assumed it was the whole elephant. We sometimes grasp only a little bit and make it the whole! We then strut around thinking that we have the knowledge and know it all! In reality we know so little! We need to be born again to begin seeing! And when we start seeing the way God intended for us to see, we will be looked upon as foolish, simple, unsophisticated, behind the times! But who cares?!?
God has said that HE will choose the foolish things to confound the wise! Only God can have such confidence in His action! For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21
Why is this gospel hidden? There is a horrible dread in the enemy camp! The enemy has an intense fear of people believing this gospel. Why? Because the glorious light of the gospel shatters satanic darkness, and scatters it like so much fragile shards of glass into the mocking winds of despair and defeat! The enemy fears when men begin paying heed to the gospel! Its very simplicity mocks at the convoluted complexity of the spurious intellectual web that the enemy wraps around the mind of men, ensnaring them into thinking their learning is enlightening, and of a higher level than that of mere mortals. They are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth! But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
Truth is wrapped up in the person of the Messiah for He said I AM THE TRUTH! Truth stares one in the face but because of the jaded veil of the enemy, many like Pilate simply shrug and ask What is truth? All the while truth stands patiently before them, yet is not seen!
This gospel is like that insignificant pebble, in the insignificant sling ,of an insignificant shepherd boy! He was so insignificant in his own family's eyes, that his father presented him as an afterthought, when Samuel asked Jesse if he had any other sons! His brothers despised him when he queried the right of the philistine to blaspheme Yahweh and His people. The Goliaths of this world roar in mockery at the puny insignificant seeming story of a God who died for the sins of the world! A likely fairy tale the worldly wise ones say and think.
Are we tempted to discard that which seem insignificant and run with something more sophisticated? The spirits over America influences and encourages mockery at the simple, foolish, little things, all the while casting their illusory allure over the masses, deceiving them into believing they are into a higher level of wisdom and intellectual superiority. But a tiny spiritual pebble, in the sanctified sling of the insignificant disciple, has ability to bring the Goliaths of worldly wisdom, insipid intellectualism and popular philosophies, crashing down in devastating defeat! In their futilely frantic efforts to be accepted and acclaimed as the superior, sophisticated, super intellects of the world, the ungodly worldlings blindly follow the naked emperor, deceiving themselves into believing in invisible garments; and unable to come to terms with the fact that they have strained their credibility to breaking point. They refuse to acknowledge that it is the Word of the Gospel alone that brings salvation to men, to any who believes! God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save man.
Jesus came, and that is a historical fact that cannot be ignored! He died, and the enemy would like Him to remain dead, and that would be the end of it all! But Jesus did not remain dead! Instead he was the Irresistible Force that had come against the immovable object, and the object suddenly found out that it was not as immovable as it had thought! Men always faced up to the inevitability of death and the grave. They always lived in knowledge that it catches all. But death could not keep Jesus and the grave could not hold Him! He not only arose from the dead but made a mockery of death and hell. He lead captivity captive! He spoiled principalities and powers! He made them a spectacle to all the unseen world! His triumph reverberates through time and eternity! He has seized authority of death and hell! He has their keys! He locks and none can open! He opens and none can lock! And today that precious door of grace is opened by Him, to anyone who comes believing! His nail pierced hands are outstretched in a welcoming invitation, to all for His grace has appeared to all men! And he stands there offering this precious life giving stream to anyone who is wise enough to believe on Him! A jaded, worldly wise, cynical, woman who had stared the harshness of life in its face found that living fountain sitting by a traditional well. She saw both and made the comparison. The Messiah won hands down! Come see a man, she says! Is not this the Messiah?
The Messiah is the Messenger! The Messenger is also the Message! They killed the Messenger because they did not like the Message! But the Messenger and His Message lives forever! And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:12-18
What would have been the response if Jesus had appeared to the Jews, Pilate and Caesar like He appears in The Revelation? How would they have reacted? They would have done the same things those who saw Him did! Run to hide and call on the rocks to fall on them, and cover them! And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:15-17
This world continues to mock and malign the Christ! They continue to deride and deny this Word! They seek to negate and nullify the power and glory of this gospel! The puny, pitiful, plotting produces mocking laughter in God! And we also laugh with Him! Do you know why? Because we've read the Book. We know how it all ends! And just in case you did not know it, here's how it all ends! You lose devil! GOD WINS!!! WE WIN!!!
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:5-8
